“Sheera, I’m so sorry,” I whisper, following her toward the nursery.
She shakes her head, letting out a short laugh. “What a bitch. Anyway, I really should go. I kinda stormed out after the whole RV fight and…” She trails off.
“Talk to him,” I say softly. She nods, so I add, “without yelling.”
She makes a face. “I’ll try.”
I smile. “That’s fair.”
She picks up Raina, managing to get her strapped to her chest without waking her.
Chloe is in the kitchen when we return, pouring herself a glass of wine. We both ignore her. When the door closes behind Sheera, Chloe pounces, voice sharp as a blade.
“So this is what you do while my son works himself ragged because ofyourfamily?”
I turn around slowly, heat rising in my chest. “Keep your voice down,” I hiss. “My daughter is sleeping. And secondly, she’s his family too.”
She crosses her arms, eyes rolling. “I’m talking about the debt your brother-in-law saddled my son with. I knew you were after his money, but I didn’t realize your family was this pathetic too.”
My jaw clenches. I walk over to the sofa, just to put some distance between us. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Chloe’s voice cuts through the air. “So, you’re gonna play it like this? First, you trap Matthew with a baby, and now you’re using my granddaughter to make him pay thirty thousand dollars. Which, by the way, he doesn’t even have. And even worse? You’ve managed to drive a wedge between us so deep he won’teven accept help from me. You won’t work, and what, he’s just supposed to take care ofeverythingalone?”
Her words slam into me, one after another, like punches I didn’t see coming. My knees give a little, and I sink down onto the sofa before I can stop myself.
Debt. That’s what he’s been hiding. Not work, not stress.Debt.
My mind spins.Thirty thousand dollars?My family? What the hell!
The front door opens just then, the sound of keys scraping against the lock. I don’t have to turn to know who it is.
The liar.
He swallows before asking, voice tight, “What’s going on?”
Matthew
I ask it because I genuinely can’t comprehend what inspired my mother to come here and tell Brooke,this, when I specifically,explicitlyasked her not to.
I knew I shouldn’t have told her. God, Iknew.But she’d cornered me the way only ma’s can, voice soft, full of concern, and I’d been holding it in for so long that when she asked, it all just… came pouring out.
Brooke’s voice cuts through the silence, colder than I’ve ever heard it. “Your mother was just telling me how I’m making you pay off my family’s debt alone. See, she thinks I know. When the truth is, I have no idea, because her son doesn’t trust me enough to tell me.”
She’s sitting rigid on the couch, shoulders pulled tight, like she’s trying to hold herself together through sheer willpower. Her eyesmeet mine, and I wish they didn’t. Because the look in them isn’t just anger. It’s hurt. It’sbetrayal.
“Brooke-” I start, stepping toward her.
She lifts a hand, stopping me mid-step. “I have to feed Penny.” Her voice is calm, controlled. That’s worse than yelling.
She gets up, not looking at me or my mother. Before stepping away, Brooke turns back, just enough to say, clear and sharp,
“Make sure she’s gone by the time I get back.” With that she’s gone.
I turn to my mom. She doesn’t even look guilty. Her arms are crossed, chin tilted up, like she’s done me some grand favour.
“What the hell did you do?” I whisper. My voice isn’t loud, but it’s shaking. Because if I yell, I’ll break something and right now, I can’t afford to break anything else.
She meets my eyes, unflinching. “I did what you couldn’t, honey,” she says calmly. “Why can’t you see she’s taking advantage of you? How can you expect her to be a good mother when she comes from thieves, drug addicts, and murderers?”
